“Nonsense is that which does not fit into the prearranged patterns which we have superimposed on reality… Nonsense is nonsense only when we have not yet found that point of view from which it makes sense.”Gary Zukav
‘Nonsense’ is the degree to which reality can be pushed, as Gary Zukav, the American spiritual teacher explains; and so the absurdist nature of this concept allows for whimsical and often abstract properties when applied to art. When nonsense and reality collide, modern art becomes a visual exploration of humanity; in his case, Dutch artist, Jan-Hein Arens explores a myriad of ways in which it can make sense.
In an exhibition at the KickArts Contemporary Arts gallery, Cairns, in mid-2013, Arens’s works, Cowboys, Swap Minds, They Felt Better and Wolves each explore this relationship. The use of mixed media to construct his works, along with the variety in the style of his imagery and word play, are his main strategies for drawing the worlds of reality and nonsense together. The composition of these pieces is built from realistic freehand sketches and then accented by felt tip, comically stylised, details, and complimented through satirical textual explanations. Therefore they precisely and quite obviously bring together the two worlds of reality and nonsense as one.
‘To swap minds with a cactus, it is unlikely but not impossible’—the satirical quote in the work Swap Minds (2013)—complements the artist’s realistic vision and the comical details of the image. Ultimately Swap Minds explores the need for humanity to explore endless possibilities and how even things that may seem beyond our reach are never as impossible as they seem. Arens adopts a philosophy here that some may... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline
They felt better, 2013. Pastel crayon, ink and paint, 300 x 300mm
Swap minds, 2013. Pastel crayon, ink and paint, 200 x 200mm
